The Mission, the Heartache, and the Romantic
by misto-shadow
Summary: So, Shikamaru goes out on an Aclass mission, leaving Ino to sit and fret. After discussing him with Sakura, she realizes that she has a thing for the lazy Nara. Jeez, I just realized how many of my fics involve people storming into houses...ShikaxIno


Hey, just for a little heads up, everybody is about nineteen or twenty here, and Shika is probably four or five inches taller than Ino. Just had to clear that up so ya got a better mental picture of what's going down!

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**Disclaimer- **Oh stuff it! I don't own anything!

The Mission, the Heartache, and the Romantic

He promised her he would be back in four months, because their mission was a long term scouting assignment. She waved him off and gave him a hug at the gates, to which he responded, 'troublesome woman….' She let it slide this time, deciding that it was best if they didn't get on bad terms before he left for four months, making her feel guilty about the whole thing. He was a jounin now, this was his first A-rank mission, and that worried her. She shouldn't have needed to worry, because he was on a team with some of the best ninja. The leader was Sasuke Uchiha, and the other two were long time jounin, so she shouldn't have worried. But she did, and when the group disappeared into the trees beyond the gate her cheerful expression twisted into a frown.

"Ino-pig, you okay?" Sakura turned to her and cocked her head, a small worried smile plastered to her lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine forehead." She didn't even look at the Haruno girl; instead she kept her eyes trained on the forest with no real reason to. They had gone, and she was staring at nothing.

Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder and for a moment they stood, watching the still woods beyond the gate. Sakura was there bidding farewell to Sasuke, whom she had been dating for the past three or four months. Ino had been steeply jealous when she found out, but when she saw them eating at Ichiraku's and Sasuke flashed Sakura a tiny smile, she wasn't so vengeful anymore. She saw they were happy, and that sparked her to regain her friendship with the Haruno. They were now back on good terms, but they still used each others nicknames out of pure habit. Sakura gave Ino's shoulder one last squeeze and left, heading for home.

But the Yamanaka girl stayed a while longer, until the sun had almost fully set. It would be four months until she saw her Nara friend again, and the only one left to hang out with was Chouji. She still enjoyed spending time with the boy, but everything was always more fun when the whole gang was together. Team Ino-Shika-Cho was who they were, and when one of them was out on a mission the others would always worry, even if they didn't show it.

Ino sighed and headed back home, her thoughts never really leaving the gates. She hoped he would be back sooner, so she could sleep easier. Her boys were her closest guy friends, and Shikamaru was probably the closest, even if he was a lazy bum of a ninja. Ino ate her dinner slowly, remembering her conversation with the Nara boy from earlier.

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_"Hey Shikamaru! What's up?" Ino smiled as he sat beside her at Ichiraku's, Chouji on his other side._

_"I'm going to be leaving on a mission later, so I just wanted to eat lunch with you guys before I left." He was never one to beat around the bush, and sometimes his bluntness got on her nerves._

_"What? You're already heading back out into the field? But you just got back from you're last mission less than two weeks ago!" Ino complained, her bowl of ramen forgotten on the table._

_"I know. This is my first A-ranked mission too." He stared down at his food, his brow furrowed. "What a drag."_

_"Shikamaru!! You mean to tell me you're actually going on an A-rank?? How long is this suppose to take?!" Ino stared wide-eyed at him._

_"At the most, four months. But we should be back before then, knowing Sasuke." _

_"Four months!?!?! Jeez Shikamaru...wait, Sasuke is on your team?" She didn't even notice that Chouji had devoured her ramen._

_"Yeah. He was appointed team leader. He's really gonna push us on this one...how troublesome." He chopsticked some ramen into his mouth, and Ino wanted to scream at him because of his nonchalant attitude towards the whole situation._

_He was leaving for four months on an A-ranked mission, and he acted like he was just going to be walking the sweet old lady's dog from across the street! Ino huffed and turned back to her dish, quite aware of the fact that it was now empty._

_"Chouji...where is my ramen?" She turned an evil glare on the Akimichi, and he gulped. _

_"Uh...I don't know?" ...He ran._

_"Chouji!!! Get back here, you have to pay for it!! Chouji!!" The chubby boy was long gone, and she sighed in defeat. "Stupid, chip obsessed..." Ino muttered on, and Shikamaru just raised a brow._

_"Hey, I gotta go get ready. See ya round Ino." He paid for his food and stood up to leave._

_"Yeah, bye Shikamaru! Wait, when do you guys leave?" She called after him._

_"About six-thirty." He said and kept walking._

_"Okay, I'll be at the gates then!!" She cupped her hands around her mouth so he could hear her, and he raised a hand to let her know he heard._

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Ino lay in bed, unable to sleep. She worried for her long time friend, and hoped that he would be alright. _'Why am I so worried? He'll be okay, he's gotten a lot better since we were genin. But...things have changed since then. More dangerous missions have become available to him now that he's a jounin, and even though he's by far the smartest person I know...I'm still afraid he'll get caught, or...' _Ino shook her head. She couldn't think like that! She let out a frustrated sigh and ran her hands through her hair. It had grown out again, like she preferred it.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but in vain. After a few more minutes of consciousness she gave up and went to the kitchen, thinking that maybe a midnight snack would take her mind off of things. Well, it turned out to be more than just a snack...she ate half a tub of ice cream while watching late night soap operas. During commercial she took the ice cream back to the fridge and grabbed a jar of peanut butter and a big spoon, then headed back to the couch.

Ino began to sob as the girl found out her fiancé had been murdered, and she grabbed the box of tissues on the coffee table. It was just what she feared, losing her Shikamaru. _'Wait...what? My Shikamaru? Augh, I really need to stop watching these sappy things!' _She sniffled and snuggled down on the couch, still watching her beloved soaps.

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It was two months since Shikamaru and the rest of his team had left, and Ino had almost forgotten about the whole thing. She was still a little worried, but she knew after a good talk with Sakura that everything was going to be alright. She felt silly for worrying over him so much, even if he was on an A-ranked mission. He was a jounin, he could handle it, end of story. But there still were a few nights when she would get to thinking about it, and then she'd have a hard time sleeping. It was just her nature to worry about her boys when she was bored and that was the only thing on her mind.

Chouji was well on his way to advancing to jounin level after some good, hard training with his dad. She was still a chunin, but after Inoichi, her own father, had heard of Chouji's big training to better his skills, he had been getting in some training sessions when he wasn't on duty. But still, Chouji had more complicated missions than she because of his newfound power, so she worried about him as well. Shikamaru hadn't written or anything since he left, but she didn't expect him to. This was, after all, the laziest ninja in the history of Konoha, so it wasn't very likely for him to go out of his way to write some silly letter.

Sakura had gotten a quick write from Sasuke a few days back, and he reported that everything was going as planned and they were a bit ahead of schedule. But of course, Shikamaru had already told her he expected this, so it came as no surprise to Ino even if the lazy Nara was on their team. So life went on as it was before, minus Shikamaru for the time being, and Ino continued to spend her time training or shopping with Sakura or hanging out with Chouji.

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Ten days until the four month mark. Ino was beginning to worry again, and one night she decided it would be best if she had a little sleepover with Sakura to help ease her troubled mind. Sakura arrived on her doorstep with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. She carried an overstuffed bag, a stack of movies under her arm, a plushy blue pillow, and another bag of junk food.

"So Ino-pig, are you ready to stuff yourself with everything under the sun that's unhealthy while watching some old romance movies?" Her enthusiasm was apparent, and it made Ino smile. She knew this was a good idea.

"Sure forehead girl. Come on in!" She took the stack of movies from Sakura and let the Haruno girl into her house, heading to the living room. "My parents are away on a mission, so we have basic run of the house." She popped a movie into the VCR and the two made themselves comfortable.

By the time they finished watching _Gone with the Wind_ and _Tuck Everlasting_ they had consumed a bag of chips, another bag of popcorn, a tub of ice cream, and used up a whole box of tissues. It was always nice to share a good cry with your best friend over some sappy movie, and Ino felt much better already.

"So, you think we should take a break from the movies and have a little gossip session, eh Ino-pig?" Sakura nudged her friend and popped a marshmallow into her mouth.

"Sounds like a plan, forehead!" Ino already had a little something she wanted to talk about, but she figured they'd get around to it sooner or later, so she didn't say anything.

They chatted about random guys, past dates they had that embarrassed them, Tenten and Neji's love life, more guys, and finally they came upon the subject of their own affections.

"I still can't believe Sasuke finally decided to go out with me, but I'm really glad that he did. Ya know, there's a lot more to that guy than just a pretty face and extraordinary ninja skills! He can be...really sweet sometimes. I think I'm finally starting to break through that cold outer shell of his. You'd think that he'd give up on his avenger attitude after he beat Itachi, but no, he's the same as always." Sakura shrugged and laughed. "Men!"

"Yeah...Sakura?" The Haruno girl gave her a questioning look, knowing that whatever she was about to say was important. Whenever Ino had something important to say, she always called Sakura by her given name, not her little nickname.

"What is it Ino?"

"Shikamaru...he said that they would be back from their mission in four months tops. But, they haven't come back yet even though you said they were ahead of schedule a couple months ago. Has Sasuke written lately? Did he say anything about how the mission is going?" Ino frowned slightly, her brow creasing with worry.

"Well, now that you mention it, he did write a week or so ago saying they hit a little snag during the mission, but I didn't worry because he said they already had it worked out most of the way. Why are you so worried anyway? This is our boys we're talking about, and knowing them they'll probably be back tomorrow!"

Hm...I guess you're right, but I can't help but worry! Shikamaru is such a lazy ass, and I fear he'll get himself caught one of these days not paying attention and watching the clouds!" She laughed despite the seriousness of the atmosphere, and Sakura smiled deviously.

"Ino-pig...do you have a thing for Shikamaru? Ever since he left you've been worrying a lot more about him, and you act like me when I worry over Sasuke!" She grinned wider, watching the reaction of the Yamanaka girl.

"Sakura!! I do not like him!! He's one of my best friends! Augh, how could you say that?!" She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air defiantly, but Sakura could see the blush heating her face.

"Ha! You DO like him, don't deny it! Why else would you be blushing? C'mon Ino, fess up!" She poked Ino in the side and she squealed.

"Shut up forehead!! I do not!!" Sakura grinned deviously and began to tickle her sides.

"Alright Ino-pig, you won't tell me if I ask nicely, so prepare for torture!! I won't stop until you tell me the truth!!" Ino gasped and laughed uncontrollably, and she was soon red in the face.

"Stop...it...Sakura!!! -snort- Okay!! I give! -gasp- I'll tell...just stop!" Sakura let go of the giggling girl and smirked triumphantly.

"Good! Now do you or do you not like Shikamaru Nara?" She put on a serious face and stared intently and Ino.

"I...I don't know." She was frowning, frustrated by the fact that she couldn't seem to figure out her feelings for the boy.

"Well, I expected such a thing. I've been planning to ask you since I arrived, and I came prepared!" Sakura pulled a girls magazine out of her bag, holding it in front of Ino's face. "This will help you figure it out!"

"That? What will a magazine do for me?" She took it and stared at the cover, then looked at Sakura with confusion.

"Inside is a twenty question quiz that will determine how much you like a person. I'll read off the questions, and you just answer yes or no. Be truthful, or it won't work! Are you ready to get started?" Sakura looked at her with hopeful eyes, snatching the magazine and flipping it open to the test page.

"Sure...I guess I'm ready..." Ino settled her self back against the arm of the couch and waited for Sakura to start.

"Okay! Whenever you're around Shikamaru, do you ever feel nervous or like you have butterflies in your stomach?" Sakura looked up to Ino and waited for an answer.

She sat there, contemplating. She thought about all the times she had talked to Shikamaru, and most of the time it ended in a face off because he called her troublesome too many times. But then, there were a few time when she had a decent conversation with the boy, and there was some connection she had with him that was never there with Chouji. And once...she had even been a bit nervous when he walked her home from training one night. It felt...strange, and afterwards she couldn't sleep because she didn't know why she felt that way. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before with the Nara, and it was confusing.

"Hmm...Yeah, I guess so." Ino met the emerald eyes that bore into her, and Sakura smiled.

"Alright! On to the next question!"

It went on like that for the next ten minutes or so, and the further Ino got in the test the more befuddled she became. How did she feel? Did she actually have a thing for the lazy ninja?

"Okay Ino, you're all done! Time for the results! You said 'yes' to fourteen questions and 'no' to six of them, which means...you're just beginning to find your true feelings for the person (AKA, Shikamaru) and are encouraged to explore the relationship further! It might be a good idea to confront the person if you begin to feel stronger towards them, and don't be afraid to confess! Most of the time, if you have a special bond with a person of the opposite gender, they like you back. Good luck in love!" Sakura read the results with enthusiasm, but it only made Ino frown.

So, according to this 'love quiz' she did have a thing for her friend? She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, sighing. Sakura flipped the magazine shut and looked up, her smile fading when she saw Ino's expression.

"What's up Ino-pig? I thought you'd feel better after getting a straight answer!" She crammed the magazine back into her bag and flopped back onto the couch, grabbing on the channel changer and turning on the TV.

"I know, but...that confuses me even more! I think I need some time to think about this before I'm ready to decide."

"Whatever floats your boat! Wanna watch some soaps?"

"Sure, sounds good to me." Ino relaxed on the couch and in no time at all Sakura was sleeping, her arms draped over the side along with one of her legs, mouth open.

Ino looked at her for a while, eyebrow quirked. _'Huh, I wonder what Sasuke thinks of her sleeping habits?' _She shook her head and sighed, turning her attention back to the tube. Did she really like Shikamaru? They had their moments...but most of the time they were having a spat over Shikamaru calling her a troublesome woman or something else trivial like that. The more she thought and sorted out her feelings, the more she began to realize what it was she felt towards the boy. Whenever she remembered something good about their time together, she would smile and relish the feeling it gave her. But whenever she came upon a pretty bad quarrel they had, she would frown and feel guilty, because most of the time she was the one who started it.

Ino began to feel too tired to sort through the mess, so she closed hr eyes and turned down the television, relaxing into sleep. But she never expected the dream she had that night, and it just so happened to include a certain lazy ninja she knew all too well.

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_Ino woke up under the cloudy blue sky, laying in the grass. Where was she? She looked around, and it was then that she noticed Shikamaru lying beside her, eyes closed and hands behind his head. She watched his even breathing for a while, and appreciated the fact that he didn't have his tan vest on. He may have been thin, but that didn't mean he wasn't muscular. Ino shook her head and looked back up at the sky, watching the clouds._

_This was his favorite pass-time, and what did she think of it? Boring! It suited him though, being that he was so inactive and hated work. After a while she looked back over at the boy beside her, deciding she wanted to talk to him. She hadn't had a conversation with the Nara in almost four months, and even if this was a dream she would get as much talk out of hm as she could._

_"Shikamaru? Are you awake?" Ino questioned, and he grunted in response._

_"What is it? I'm trying to sleep here, you know." He said, snapping open one eye to look at her._

_"I just want to talk to you. Hey Shika?" She sat up and hugged her knees, looking down at him._

_"What?" He sounded slightly irritated, and he opened both eyes when her shadow fell over his face._

_"Do you...do you like me?" She averted her gaze, not seeing the bewildered look he had._

_"What kind of a question is that?" He sat up and stared at her, but she didn't meet his eyes._

_"You know, like...like more than a friend." Her face felt hot, and she couldn't believe she was asking him. But it was a dream, and when she woke up she could either regret not asking or have an idea what the real Shikamaru would say. She chose the latter._

_"Jeez Ino..." She looked back up at him and he rubbed the back of his head, looking at the sky. There was a small blush creeping up on his cheeks, and he scrambled for something to say. "I...well, I guess so." He looked back at her and her eyes lit up._

_"Really? Aw, Shika-kun!!" She leaned over and hugged him, and the smile grew on her face when he snaked his arms around her and hugged back._

_"Eh, troublesome woman..." He whispered in her hair, and she took in his scent contentedly. _

_"Ino!! INO!!" The two broke apart and looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Ino, get up!!" The blonde girl groaned and felt herself drifting back into consciousness. Even if it was a dream, she wished it could've lasted a, little longer._

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"Earth to Ino-pig!! WAKE UP!!!" Sakura shouted in her ear, and she groaned and rolled over, trying to cling to the wonderful dream, even if it was a bit cheesy. "Oh no, I'm not letting you sleep in! Get up, we're going shopping!" Sakura rolled Ino off the couch, and she landed on the floor with a thud.

"Oomph! Hey forehead, what was that for?!" She sat up and rubbed her back, clearly not happy.

"We're going shopping!!" Sakura exclaimed, a little over cheerful for a morning after pigging out on sugar and staying up late. So cheerful it was almost...fake.

"Sakura...what's going on?" She narrowed her eyes at the girl suspiciously. "And why are you so happy? You're never happy like this in the morning after a sleepover. Usually I'm the one rolling _you _off the couch to get you up!" She poked the bubblegum haired girl, prodding for an answer.

"Er...nothing's going on! I'm just happy because there's a sale today and I don't want to miss it! Now hurry up and get ready before all the good stuff is taken!" She smiled falsely again, and this time it was more apparent.

"Sakura, tell me what's going on, _now._ I know you're hiding something from me, so spill!" Ino put her hands on her hips and stared the Haruno girl down, waiting for an answer. Finally Sakura sighed and dropped the happy act, opening her mouth to speak.

"I was up before you this morning, figuring I'd let you sleep in a little bit, so I went to get my mail. Sasuke wrote again, but this time...Ino, I'm worried. He said they were just finishing up and getting ready to come home when they ran into a little 'problem'. And he told me...he told me to tell you that Shikamaru said hi, and not to get worried about him. Don't you think that's a little weird? I mean, Shikamaru never takes the time to do anything out of is way unless it's extremely important! And I don't think Sasuke would just write that without being told to, it's not like he cares if you worry. He's just not like that, and normally Shikamaru isn't either!"

"They're...they're in trouble." Ino said shallowly, her breathing uneven. She couldn't believe it. There was chance she was going to lose her Shikamaru, and she had finally realized how she felt about him. It was like her life had just slipped into a nightmare.

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It had been five and a half months since they left, and Ino was a wreck. At first she tried to hide it, the fact that she was breaking down because they were past their due date and still hadn't returned home. Sakura spent most of the time with her now, hanging out at each others' houses and training to keep busy. They tended to talk about 'their boys' a lot, and half the time they ended up in tears over something silly. But neither of them could help it, they were worried. They were scared to death that one of these days the bodies of their boys would turn up, lifeless at the gate. Ino was sick to her stomach most of the time, and Sakura was the only one who she would let care for her.

She felt sick, because if Shikamaru died, she wouldn't know how to deal with it. If she lost the lazy Nara now, she wouldn't be able to deal with herself, knowing that she never even got to tell him goodbye. She would live on with the burden of knowing she never got to tell her Shika that she loved him. She sat on the worn couch in Sakura's apartment, staring at the ceiling. And that's when it hit her. She jumped off the couch and raced out the door, shouting a quick goodbye to her bubblegum haired friend.

"Ino-pig, where are you going!?" No answer. The blonde had left the building.

Ino finally arrived at the grassy hilltop, Shikamaru's favorite place to cloud watch. She may have not been able to enjoy the hobby as much as he did, but it was the closest thing she could think of than actually being with him. She settled herself down and stared at the sky, remembering the dream she had about her lazy ninja. A few tears leaked from her eyes when she remembered that cocky smirk he had on his face when he said something particularly smart, and her heart ached to see it again. It was all she could do to keep herself from bawling right there. _'God I miss him! Please Shikamaru...don't die on me...please, come home.'_

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Six months. It had been six months, and Ino no longer faced the world of the active and living. She stayed locked in her house or out gazing at the clouds, all alone. She no longer wanted to hang out with Sakura, and the pink haired kunoichi worried about her. She wasn't the lively, bossy girl she had once been. No, Ino Yamanaka had slowly begun to let life slip away, and without Shikamaru around it was getting worse. There was no word from the jounin team, and Sakura began to fret about Sasuke almost as much as Ino did about Shikamaru. She needed her Nara, damn it!!

Ino lay in her bed that night, wide awake. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. Shikamaru was in trouble. She drifted off into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning. She dreamed of him being stabbed by an enemy and dying out there, all alone. She dreamed that he was captured and tortured, and that they blinded him so he could never cloud gaze again. She was halfway through another heart wrenching dream when the loud slam of her kitchen door startled her awake.

She ran down the stairs and stopped at the opposite side of the kitchen. The lights were out and she couldn't see, but she could make out a shadowy figure standing in the doorway. The moonlight filtered in around the figure, and it gave the whole scene an eerie feel. Ino instinctively reached down to grab a kunai from her holster, but was a bit startled when she found she didn't have her holster on. _'Right...just got out of bed...should've grabbed it before I came down. Augh, I'm such an idiot!' _She fumbled for the lights, and when she finally found the switch she prepped herself for a fight, but what she saw was not what she expected.

Standing in the doorway was a bleeding Shikamaru. He clutched his side, and Ino stared in shock as he lifted his head to look at her, that cocky Nara smirk on his face.

"Hey Ino." He winced and tightened his grip on his side and began to fall forwards, but Ino was there in an instant to catch him.

"Shikamaru! What happened to you?! Why are you so late? Lazy ass, you had me so worried!" She draped his arm over er shoulder and helped him up the stairs to the bathroom.

Shikamaru coughed and a trickle of blood stained the corner of his mouth. "Ugh, troublesome woman...stop screeching in my ear." His breath was labored and Ino thanked the Lord she got a house with a large bathroom.

She laid the bleeding Nara on the white tile floor, her stomach twisting at the sight of his blood seeping out from his side and staining the clean rug he was near. Without thinking she pulled off his vest and the shirt underneath, ignoring his bare chest for the time being. He watched her work with dull eyes, and she locked gazes with him when she had tossed his clothes in the tub and returned with cleaning alcohol. She eyed the long gash that ran from below his underarm to just above his pants line with worried blue orbs.

"Shikamaru, this is going to hurt." She poured the alcohol on a blue washcloth and gently dabbed the wound, earning a stifled hiss of pain from the Nara, and she saw his muscles tense.

She finished cleaning the wound and helped the boy sit up so she could dress it properly. Shikamaru watched her wrap the gauze around his middle, and he winced whenever she accidentally touched the sensitive bruise that spread across his ribs.

"Why didn't you go to the hospital Shikamaru? You know I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff, I only know the basics from Sakura!" She grunted as she finished dressing the wound and sat up, giving him a hard look.

"I don't trust those crazy nurses...some of them are really creepy you know." He shuddered lightly and Ino rolled her eyes.

"Alright, come on. I've done all I can for you, know you need some rest. You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the couch downstairs." Ino hoisted him up off the floor and helped him to her bedroom where she laid him down gently on her mattress.

"Ino, are you sure you aren't sick or something? You haven't hit me or yelled at me yet, I'm worried." He eyed her strangely and cocked a brow.

"Oh, shut up Nara! I'll be up in the morning, and you're going to explain to me why you're so late!" She stopped in the doorway and muttered under her breath, not realizing Shikamaru could still hear her, "You had me so worried, you lazy excuse for a ninja. I was a wreck..." Shikamaru let both eyebrows raise high on his forehead, but he said nothing to the blonde girl as she continued her trek to the couch downstairs.

He had her worried? She was a _wreck _because of _him?_ Well, that was something new. Shikamaru stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the painful throb in his side and the pounding in his head. _'Her eyes...they looked so dull when she turned on the lights. She must have been a wreck. Nothing ever gets that girl down. Eh, how troublesome...'_ He closed his eyes and settled in, inhaling the scent that surrounded him in the sheets. Ino smelled...really good. He never noticed before.

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The young Yamanaka woke up when she rolled onto the floor and startled herself awake. Really, she wasn't used to having such limited sleeping space! She rubbed her head and for a second wondered why she was sleeping on the couch. _'Why aren't I in bed? ...oh, yeah. Shikamaru. OH! Crap, I better go check up on the idiot.' _She tried to stifle the warmth blossoming in her heart now that he had returned alive, but it just wouldn't go away. She couldn't keep herself from smiling as she made her way up the stairs, thinking about the Nara, asleep, in _her_ bed, no less.

Ino opened the door quietly and peered in the room, her smile widening when she saw the boy was still asleep. She figured he would be, knowing he probably hadn't gotten a decent nights rest in a warm bed since he left six months previous. She tiptoed over to the slumbering Nara and checked his bandage, careful not to disturb him. She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed facing the door. Shikamaru was rolled over with his back towards her, and she sat silently for a few minutes, remembering the heartache she had gone through worrying if he was dead or alive for the past two months.

"Stupid Shikamaru...I was so scared you were dead, or captured, or...worse. I thought I was never going to see you again, and it hurt so much worse every time I thought about that sleepover I had with Sakura a while back..." Ino whispered.

What she didn't know was that Shikamaru was awake. He had woken up when she finished checking his wound, but he didn't think he would tell her he was up yet. _'This might be interesting...I think I'll just stay here for a while and listen to what that bossy, troublesome woman has to say. I'll probably never get a chance like this again, so act for all you're worth Shikamaru! Being 'asleep' should be no problem for a pro like me...' _He kept his breathing even and tuned his ears into the sound of Ino's voice.

"She brought over some magazine because she thought I had a thing for you. Pretty stupid, huh? Well, I guess it turns out that's what it was. Every time I talked to you and got a funny feeling, that time you walked me home after training and I couldn't sleep a wink the whole night, all that worrying I did after you left on that mission...I guess it was because...because I love you, you lazy bum. Heh, I promised myself that when you got back I would tell you...but now, I'm not so sure. I don't think I could stand rejection, from you of all people. I would rather stick with being friends until you figure it out yourself instead of you avoiding me for the rest of my life. But for all the brains you have, I don't think there's one cell in that head of yours that knows anything about women! Oh well...I guess I'll just have to live with the relationship we have now. Stupid Nara...got me all worked up!" She wiped a tear from her cheek and choked on a laugh.

The whole time Ino had been ranting Shikamaru had sat up and was working his way up behind her. She dropped her head in her hands and didn't notice his shadow beside her. With the stealth of a ninja Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his bare chest. Ino straightened instantly and gasped at his touch, her eyes wide. He was awake? Had he been listening to her _the whole time?!_ Shikamaru rested his chin on her shoulder and she could feel his warm breath on her ear. It made a strange sensation run down her spine and twist her stomach into a million knots. She was nervous.

"So you weren't going to tell me, eh?" He whispered huskily in her ear, and she shivered at the sound. "You know you're the most complicated woman I've ever met." He went on, his voice slightly amused at the comment as it rolled off his tongue.

"Shi...Shikamaru! Heh heh, you're awake! You could've said something." She sounded a bit annoyed when she finished the end of her statement.

"I know, but I wanted to hear what you had to say. It's not every day you open up like that." He sighed contentedly.

"I...I was just lying you know. I made it all up because...because I thought it might make you feel better?" She said, and Shikamaru smirked as her statement ended up as more of a question. Liar.

He tightened his grip around her waist, causing her to squirm slightly when she was hugged closer to him.

"Oh come on, Ino. You don't even believe that. I don't have to be a genius to know when you're lying. Why weren't you going to tell me about this revelation in feelings?" He pressed his face closer to hers, and she felt the warmth of his cheek against her ear.

"I...I was afraid." Ino balled her fists and clutched the flannel pajamas she wore. She had never felt so insecure around a guy before, and it was driving her crazy!

"You don't have to be. You know how troublesome you are? Think of how long it would've taken me to figure out you felt this way, even if you wore a bright red sign every day!" He pressed his lips just below her ear, and she felt her face heat up.

"Shikamaru!" Ino squirmed again.

"What? You don't have a problem do you? I thought you like me, Ino." He whispered right into her ear, and she could hear the smugness in his voice.

Ino didn't respond, she just bit her lip and stared at the floor, trying to calm her nerves. She gasped when Shikamaru lifted her up and turned her around so she was straddling his waist. He snorted when he saw her flushed face and surprised expression, and she instantly scowled.

"What's so funny?" He pressed his hand against her cheek and caressed it gently with is thumb, eyes soft.

"You're really cute when you're like this. Huh, you know how long I've waited to know how you felt about me? Ever since we were genin and I saw you fight Haruno. I was so jealous every time you got in a fight with her over Uchiha, and ever since then I've wanted to ask you if you loved me. You wanna know why?" He cocked a brow and waited for her answer.

"Why?" Ino rested her hands on his shoulders, eyes shining.

"I wanted to ask you if you loved me because I love you, Ino Yamanaka." She smiled broadly at him, and a pretty little blush darkened her cheeks.

"You lazy ass. I never knew you were such a romantic." He pulled her into a hug and inhaled the scent of her sunny blonde hair.

"Eh, showing off is troublesome. I prefer to watch the clouds."

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Okay!! This is my very first InoxShika fic, and I have a pretty good feeling that Shikamaru was OOC, and it just got worse as the end got closer. I couldn't help it though, I wanted him to be that way so badly!! Anywho, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read my cruddy little one-shot, so thanks a whole bunch!! If you have any questions, comments, or advice please feel free to put them in a review! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you want I could do a little epilogue for when Sasuke gets home and barges into Sakura's apartment...but that's if you want it. I'd have to finish my other fics first, so it'd be a while before I got back to this... anywho, thanks again for reading!!

Mistoffelees Shadow


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